Whatโ€™s Next For St. Louis With Ben Burke

As the number of St. Louis startups continue to grow, the voices and concerns of its founders, grassroots organizers and support organizations need to be heard, perhaps now more than ever.

What does the St. Louis innovation community need to do now to support its startups? Where is it succeeding?

We gathered community members to talk to us about our regionโ€™s current challenges and possible solutions.ย 

Ben Burke is the director of entrepreneurship for Arch Grants.

Ben Burke is the director of entrepreneurship for Arch Grants.
Ben Burke is the director of entrepreneurship for Arch Grants.

What are three issues, gaps or improvements that St. Louisโ€™ startup ecosystem needs to address?

I believe the issue is scale. We need more of everything, including entrepreneurs, capital, tech talent, mentorship and local corporate buy-in.

Which one would you focus on first?

Attracting and retaining entrepreneurs who are building new products and services is the first and most important step in building the ecosystem.

What approach would you take to solving that?

A more people-centric approach to attraction and retention.

What is your hope for St. Louisโ€™ startup future?

My hope is within the next five years we seeย a significant increase in the number of entrepreneurs who move to or stay within St. Louis.

What do you love about the current state of STLโ€™s startup scene?

From my point of view, there is a strong culture of collaboration among organizations that support early-stage entrepreneurs.

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